Obama Mocked The GOP's Obsession With The Keystone Pipeline During His Big Grand Bargain Speech

REUTERS/Larry DowningPresident Barack Obama took one of his most significant shots at the Keystone XL oil pipeline during a speech Tuesday in Chattanooga, Tenn., chiding Republicans for favoring a plan that he said would create, at most, 50 permanent jobs.

"That's not a jobs plan," Obama said to applause, following it up by hitting House Republicans for voting to repeal the Affordable Care Act en masse since its passage.

The prepared remarks sent out by the White House were even harsher, as Obama accused Republicans of too much backing in a "gimmick" jobs plan.

"Putting all your eggs in the basket of an oil pipeline that may only create about 50 permanent jobs, and wasting the country’s time by taking something like 40 meaningless votes to repeal Obamacare isn’t a jobs plan," Obama was set to say in those prepared remarks.